Love's Sharp Blade
by Knightwolf
Summary: Sequel to Compassionate Swordplay, explores the ups and downs of Keitaro's and Motoko's relationship and the problems they encounter along the way. R
1. Building a foundation

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for all the great reviews for Compassionate Swordplay. To tell you the truth, I was surprised that so many people liked it. This is the sequel to that story that many of you have requested. It's going to be split into chapters because it's way too big to be a one-shot. Love Hina is owned and created by Ken Akamatsu. I hope you all enjoy this one as much as you did the first story and don't stop the reviews. I need input on what you think. Anyway, enough yammering from the boring author. On with the story!

**Love's Sharp Blade**

Chapter I

Motoko and Keitaro walked down the sidewalk of the market district, window-shopping and greatly enjoying each other's company. Hand in hand they went from store to store looking to their heart's content, checking out what was new, hot and fresh on the product shelf.

Motoko very much enjoyed looking at the beautiful designs and colors of the kimonos that were displayed in a traditional Japanese clothing store. Keitaro wooed and drooled over the new video game releases in the electronics store. After growing impatient, Motoko finally dragged him away from the 128 bit titles so that they could continue their day together.

As they walked down the sidewalk holding hands, Keitaro gently massaged her hand with his thumb. Noticing this, she looked over at him to see him smiling pleasantly. A smile which Motoko returned immediately.

Leaning on his shoulder, she said,

"You'll have to forgive me, Keitaro. I'm still getting used to this relationship thing. I've never had a boyfriend before. I've never even been kissed before last night, but you knew that already didn't you?"

"That's alright, Motoko. To tell you the truth, this is my first relationship as well. So we're both learning. And that kiss last night? I can't say that it was my first. As you know, that was taken away by Mutsumi. But I have to say, that first kiss with you was the best I ever had." He said, giving her hand a light squeeze.

Motoko blushed. Then she started to giggle.

"What? What is it?" he asked curiously.

"Actually, that wouldn't be true." She said, covering her big smile. "A few days ago, the day when you woke up from your unconscious state in the hospital, before you woke up I leaned down and kissed you. So that would have been your first kiss with me." Motoko said, the blush growing deeper in her cheeks.

"Oh, I see. So it was like sleeping beauty in reverse, where the beauty kissed prince charming." Keitaro said. Then they both started to laugh.

"Um, Keitaro?"

"Yes, Motoko?"

"I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Ask me what, Motoko?"

"Well, how are we going to tell everyone else at the apartments about, you know, about us? What will they think?" Motoko asked, feeling worry.

"I'm not sure, Motoko. I can kind of picture how Auntie Haruka might take it. It'll probably have something to do with me going through a couple walls, not to mention Naru's reaction." He said.

Motoko was taken back by the mention of Naru's name. She then shook it off and allowed herself a light laugh.

"What? What is it?" Keitaro asked.

"You're right. Miss Haruka probably will take it out on you pretty hard." She said.

Motoko then turned slightly away.

'But Naru…what about her? She still hasn't told me for sure whether or not she has feelings for Keitaro.' She thought, her eyes becoming distant.

The two continued to walk along down the shopping district. Motoko turning her head to something that appealed to her in a passing window now and then, Keitaro doing the same.

Then, their attention was drawn from window shopping to a familiar fat and thin duo standing in their path.

"Hey, Keitaro! How is it you picked up that babe when we tried and got our butts kicked."

"Yeah, what makes you so special, huh?"

"Shirai, Haitani. Uh, hi guys. What's going on?" Keitaro said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, anyway, what say we all go do some Karaoke together? We can pick up some more babes on the way. Come on, Keitaro." Haitani said.

"Well, I don't think that's such a good idea…" Keitaro said, not knowing how to get out of this situation.

Motoko just glared at them with squinted eyes and an angry look. She then slowly eased into a martial arts stance. Seeing this, Haitani started to get very nervous, remembering the last time she glared at him and Shirai like that.

"Um, come to think of it, we have to be somewhere right now." Haitani said, grabbing Shirai by the shoulder.

"Huh, what do you mean?" Shirai questioned.

"Just shut up and come on. It's for the best, trust me." Haitani said to Shirai as he took off, dragging him with him.

"Hmm, that was strange. I wonder what that was all about?" Keitaro said, watching them disappear around the corner.

"Why do you even talk to those two? They're nothing but a couple of rude perverts." Motoko said, crossing her arms.

"Oh, come on Motoko. Shirai and Haitani aren't so bad once you get to know them." Keitaro said, trying to ease up her mood.

"Well, I don't like them. That's that." She said, turning her head to the side.

"Okay, I understand." Keitaro said, sensing the tension starting to build between them.

He looked around for something to break the ice.

"Hey, look Motoko. There's a Ramen Noodle stand over there. Are you hungry?" Keitaro said, pointing to the stand across the street.

Motoko's demeanor started to relax and become more positive again. As Keitaro took her hand and led her across the street, a little bit of blush arose in her cheeks. Then a slight look of guilt touched her face. They sat down and ordered their food. Keitaro ordered King Crab Ramen, while Motoko ordered the special of the day, which was Soy Beef Ramen with Green Onion. When their orders were placed steaming before them, they were amazed at the amount of food they had received.

"Wow, they certainly give large portions here, huh?" Keitaro said, as he looked down at his large bowl of noodles with eight whole steamed crab legs reaching out of it and bending over the sides.

"Yeah." Motoko replied as she looked over the many good-sized chunks of beef floating among fresh chopped green onions in her large bowl of noodles.

"Well, let's eat." Keitaro said, picking up the chopsticks. Motoko did the same.

"Thanks for the food." They cheerfully said to the chef behind the counter.

As they enjoyed the tasty bowls of Ramen, Motoko then paused. She looked over at Keitaro as he ate and then looked back down into her bowl.

"Um, Keitaro?" She said, the same look of guilt returning to her face.

"Yes, Motoko?" Keitaro said, turning from his chopstick full of steaming noodles.

"I'm…I'm sorry." She said.

"What for, Motoko?" He asked curiously.

"For what I said back there about those two friends of yours. I think that I tend to be a little judgmental sometimes and I apologize." She said, looking back down into her bowl of noodles.

Keitaro took a moment to look at the expression on her face. It was the look of sincere guilt.

"It's okay, Motoko. Don't worry about it. You know, it's like my grandpa always said, 'sometimes we all learn our lessons in tolerance'."

A warm smile returned to her face.

"It sounds like your grandfather is a wise man." She said as she started eating again.

"Yeah, he was." He said, his gaze falling slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize he had passed on." She said.

"Yeah, Granny Hina's husband. He passed away when I was very young. He always enjoyed playing games with me whenever I visited. He was always so positive, you know, as if he was content with life. Nothing ever surprised him. He would just smile his smile and it would seem to have the power to make everyone else happy around him." He said, a smile forming on his face as he recalled the warm memories.

"You probably still miss him, don't you?" She said, placing her hand on his.

"Yeah, I do. But lets not talk about that now. Where would you like to go next?" He asked turning his hand over and holding hers in his.

Giving him a quick excited smile, she looked around. Her eyes stopped on the movie theatre down the street.

"Do you feel like seeing a movie, Keitaro? 'Samurai's Destiny 2' is playing." She said, pointing to the movie posters out front. The movie immediately caught her interest because of the samurai beliefs and teachings that run strong inside of her.

"Yeah, that sounds great." Keitaro said, who absolutely loves action and fighting movies. After quickly finishing their bowls, Keitaro paid the bill and they both walked into the movie theatre.

After the movie was finished, they both walked out of the theatre talking about the film they had just seen. The sun had just ducked over the horizon, giving the sky an orange twilight. Motoko talked about how she loved the romantic plot and momentous storyline. She also commented on the many different sword techniques used throughout the movie and how she was impressed on their proper execution. Keitaro talked about how cool the villain looked and how great the action scenes were.

As they started walking down the street once more, Keitaro attempted to put his arm around her, but hesitated in fear of embarrassment and maybe a few bruises. So he pulled his arm back. After seeing all of this out of the corner of her eye, Motoko reached out, took his arm and wrapped it around her waist. Blushing just a little, she leaned against him.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" She said with a smile. Then they both gave a light laugh.

Naru walked out of the supply store carrying a few notebooks, a pack of pencils and some square erasers all in a plastic bag.

'This should be enough to hold me for a little while. I'm surprised how quickly I go through notebooks.' She thought.

A quick gust of wind blew through her hair and caused her to shiver slightly. Since it is early in May, it still gets very cool at night. Straightening her hair, she caught sight of a couple walking down the sidewalk on the other side of the street. There was something about them that grabbed her attention, something familiar. Putting on her glasses, she looked again. Her heart skipped a beat at what she saw. It was Keitaro and Motoko, holding each other as they walked.

'W-What the…Usually Keitaro would be laying on the ground, hardly breathing for even being that close to Motoko. A-Are they…No! It can't be true!' Naru thought as she continued to watch them. Keitaro then turned his head as Motoko turned hers until their lips met.

Naru gasped as she raised her hand to her mouth. "A kiss?" she said to herself. Tears started to form in her eyes. "Keitaro, you big idiot!" She said out loud before running off.

Motoko broke the kiss and turned around, looking across the street.

"Did you hear someone calling your name just now, Keitaro?" Motoko asked, looking up and down the street.

"I didn't hear anyone." Keitaro said, looking with her.

"Must have been my imagination." She said as they started walking again.

Shinobu walked out of the kitchen and into the main room. She looked around to see if everyone had arrived home so that she could begin cooking dinner. As she walked through the room, she caught sight of Kitsune sleeping on the sofa. A magazine was open over her chest while her left hand hung down touching the floor.

'I'd better wake her early so she's not too groggy for dinner, like she always is.' She thought.

Shinobu was about to walk up to Kitsune when Naru came bursting through the front door with tears flowing down her face.

"Oh, Naru! You're home. I…" Shinobu paused as Naru ran right by her and up the stairs, leaving a trail of tears behind her.

"Naru, what's wrong?" Shinobu said before Naru quickly disappeared at the top of the steps.

At that moment Kitsune let out a yawn and stretched out her arms.

"Hmm? What's goin' on?" Kitsune asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I…I'm not sure, but Naru was crying for some reason." Shinobu said, still looking at the top of the stairs.

"Cryin'? Hmm. I wonder what about. I'll have a talk with her, see what's buggin' her." Kitsune said, looking at the top of the stairs as well.

After taking the train back to Hinata, Keitaro and Motoko walked together until they reached the tall steps leading up to the Hinata apartments. Before he was about to make his way up the steps, Motoko stopped Keitaro.

"What is it, Motoko?" Keitaro asked.

"We should make it look like things are still normal between us until we decide the right time to tell everyone." She said.

"What do you mean? Everything still looks normal." He said. With a smile, Motoko held up her hand that he was still holding.

"Oh, that. I see. It would probably be a good idea if we enter the front door separately too, huh." He said, to which she gave a quick nod.

After giving him a kiss she leaned up and whispered in his ear, "See you inside." Then she ran up the steps and walked inside the apartments. Keitaro began his walk up the stairs and walked through the front door as well.

Kaolla Su skipped and hopped down the halls cheerfully as she usually does, in search of something fun to cure her boredom. Turning the corner, she came upon Naru, who was facing the wall next to her door with her forehead resting against the wallpaper. With both hands on the wall, single teardrops slowly slid down Naru's cheeks.

Su carefully trotted up to her on all fours.

"What's wrong Naru? Are you feeling okay?" Su asked curiously.

Naru looked down at Su. Then she hung her head and closed her eyes, shedding more tears on the polished wooden floor.

"A…A kiss." Naru said softly, futily trying to hold back the onrush of more tears that were coming.

"Kisses? I've always wanted to try those. Do they taste good?" Su said, innocently.

The tears now flowing down her face once more, Naru retreated into her room, shutting the door behind her. Su just sat there, not knowing what to think.

"Did I, perhaps say something wrong to Naru?" Su said to herself. "Hmm, I do hope that Naru will be alright and that whatever is bothering her will go away soon." She said, before continuing her trot down the hall.

Inside her room, Naru sat, resting her back against the study table. Her arms were folded, holding her knees close to her chest. Wiping away the wetness from her cheeks with her shirt sleeves, she looked over to the hole in her floor that was covered with a flat piece of wood.

"It's just not fair." She whispered.

As Keitaro walked in and closed the front door behind him, he saw Kitsune and Motoko talking on the other side of the main room.

"Naru looked really upset? What was she upset about?" Motoko asked Kitsune.

"I'm not sure. Before Shinobu could get a chance to ask, she ran right up the stairs." Kitsune said.

"And she didn't say anything?" Keitaro asked, walking up to them.

"No, not a word." Kitsune said, rubbing her chin as she thought deeply.

"Well, I'll go have a talk with her." Keitaro said, beginning his way up the stairs.

"Careful Keitaro. We don't want to take you to the hospital again, too soon." Kitsune said, with a smile.

"heh heh heh, yeah thanks." Keitaro said uneasily.

Arriving at Naru's door, Keitaro then knocked lightly.

"Naru? Naru, are you in there?" He asked.

"Go away, Keitaro!" Came Naru's voice from inside.

"Uh, Kitsune said you looked upset for some reason. Is something wrong?" Keitaro asked, pressing his ear against the door, trying to hear what was going on inside.

"Nothing's wrong. Everything is fine. Now, leave me alone!" She said.

"Oh. Okay. Well, if there's anything you need, just let me know. It's my job as manager to make sure everyone is happy." He said.

There was silence.

Inside her room, Naru waited to hear the sound of his footsteps walking away. After he was gone, she reached over and grabbed her Mr. Chupi doll. Naru held it close to her chest with both arms.

"Manager, huh? But…that's not all you are to me, Keitaro." She whispered to herself.

Resting the side of her head on top of Mr. Chupi, she closed her eyes and shed a single tear, which slowly ran down her nose and onto Mr. Chupi.

"That's not what you are…to me."


	2. Things breaking down

Love Hina is owned and created by Ken Akamatsu. Enjoy! Love's Sharp Blade 

Chapter II

Kitsune walked down the hall towards her destination. Inside she was feeling worry for her friend and at the same time she felt determined to get to the bottom of what was going on. Walking up, she gave Naru's door a couple raps.

"Naru? Naru it's me. I gotta talk to you." Kitsune said loudly in front of the door.

"Not now, Kitsune. Now please go away." Came the voice from inside.

"That's it, I'm comin' in." Kitsune said, before throwing open the door and stomping in.

"Now you're gonna tell me what's going on, right here and now…" Kitsune was stopped by the sight of Naru's swollen eyes from dried tears. Naru quickly turned away, covering her face.

Kitsune turned, peaked out into the hall, looking both ways to make sure no one was coming, shut the door and sat down next to Naru.

"Naru, sweetie? Please, tell me what's wrong." Kitsune said as she gently held Naru by the shoulders.

"I…I can't." Naru said, continuing to hide her eyes.

"Why not? What's so terrible that you can't tell your best friend?" Kitsune said, turning Naru's face to her.

Kitsune saw deep sadness in Naru's eyes, which sparkled with tears still hanging on. Then, that sadness converted to anger.

"I just can't, okay!" Naru said loudly, causing Kitsune to release her.

"Please…just leave, Kitsune." Naru said, softness returning to her voice.

"Alright, dear." Kitsune said, standing up and walking to the door. "But if you ever need someone to talk to, you know where I'm at, 'kay?" Kitsune said, turning back for a moment.

"I know. Thanks, Kitsune." Naru said. Kitsune gave a quick smile, and then quietly closed Naru's door behind her, leaving Naru alone once more.

Dinner came and went with the absence of Naru. All during which, everyone would look at her seat every now and again as they ate silently. Keitaro and Motoko would gaze back and forth at each other, but no one else seemed to notice. After finishing another one of Shinobu's delicious meals, they all retreated to their rooms. All but one young man with glasses, that is, who slowly tip toed his way down the hall to Motoko's room. Stopping at her door, he looked up and down the hall to make sure no one else was around. Then he lightly tapped on her door.

"Motoko. Motoko are you there?" Keitaro said quietly.

"Come on in, Keitaro." Motoko said from inside.

Keitaro opened the door to see Motoko, legs folded on her futon, with a picture album open on her lap.

"Oh, a family photo album, huh?" He said, to which she nodded with a smile.

Keitaro walked in, shutting the door behind him. After he sat down next to her on the futon, she placed the photo album on his lap so that they could view the pictures together as she leaned her head on his shoulder. One picture immediately caught Keitaro's eye.

"Hey, is this you when you were young?" He said, pointing to the picture in the center of the page.

"Yup. That's me when I was five years old." She said, smiling.

"Wow, you look so cute. Is that your sister next to you?" He said, looking more closely at the photo depicting a little smiling Motoko in a pink Sakura pedal Kimono, holding a paper windmill in her hand. Next to her was her older sister in a navy blue kimono with an aqua sash.

"Yes, that's my sister when she was fifteen. She was still training at the Kendo School for Girls at that time." She said.

"It's amazing. You two look so much alike." He said, looking over at her and back at the photo.

"Really?" she said in surprise.

"Yeah. You look almost identical to her when she was that age." He said looking over the features of her face.

"I've always wanted to be more like my sister. She's so beautiful, tremendously skilled at the blade and always tries her best. I wish I was like that." She said with a frown.

"What are you kidding, Motoko? You are all of those things. In fact, you're…the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." Keitaro said, blushing incredibly.

Motoko was stunned by his words.

"You…do you really mean that, Keitaro?" She asked, looking into his eyes.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't." He said, looking back into hers.

He then placed his hand on her cheek and slowly guided her face to his until their lips met. After a moment, Keitaro began to kiss her more deeply, slipping his tongue past her lips, which shocked her at first, but then she relaxed and followed suit by doing the same back. Motoko was entranced, having never experienced anything like this before. Keitaro felt relieved that she allowed such a bold move upon her. Deep inside he was still a little nervous, treading into unknown territory in terms of this type of contact. Motoko felt the same way. Her fluttering heartbeat was proof of that.

Keitaro then gently broke the kiss and began planting sensual kisses over her cheek and down her neck. Motoko was both in bliss and scared at the same time, feeling all these new sensations flowing through her body for the first time. Forming a pleasureful smile, she placed her hand on the back of his head, moving his hair with her fingers. When Keitaro's lips reached the top of her chest, something woke back up inside of her, clearing away the fog of ecstasy.

"Wait, Keitaro." She said, slowly pushing him away.

"What? What is it?" Keitaro said, a confused look on his face.

"This just doesn't feel right." She said, closing up her Kimono.

Keitaro then quickly came to his senses.

"I'm sorry, Motoko. I probably took it a little too far." He said, the guilt rising inside.

"It's okay. I…I'm just not ready for those kinds of things yet, that's all. I still care about you a lot, Keitaro. I just think we should take it a little slow, that's all." She said, taking his hand. Giving her hand a light squeeze, he smiled.

"I understand. Then slow it is. I just don't want to lose what we have, Motoko." He said.

"I know, neither do I." She said.

A moment of awkward silence passed as their cheeks were still flushed from what had just happened. Then Motoko spoke up.

"Naru has me a little worried. Dinner was quiet without her." She said.

"Yeah. When I spoke to her, she insisted nothing was wrong, but I don't think that's the case." He said, scratching his head.

"Well, she'll tell us when and if she wants to, I guess." She said straightening her kimono and standing up.

"I'm going to take a dip in the hot spring before I go to sleep." She said, grabbing her bathing supplies.

"Sure. I've got some studying to do anyway." He said, standing up as well.

Giving each other a quick kiss, Keitaro then left the room. After the sound of his footsteps faded down the hall, Motoko sat down on her futon, took in a deep breath and exhaled. She then placed her hand on the top of her chest where she felt his lips on her body. Blushing deeply she began to smile.

"Keitaro-senpai." She said quietly to herself.

She then lightly shook her head trying to regain some focus. Motoko stood up and grabbed her bath supplies. Still smiling, she walked out of her room and down the hall to the hot spring.

The next morning, Keitaro was out sweeping the front steps of the apartments. He paused for a moment and looked out upon the beautiful view of the town of Hinata with its many Sakura trees in full bloom swaying in the gentile wind. A wind carrying with it a seemingly endless flowing of sakura pedals from each tree. Keitaro took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled at the relaxing sight. Above him, Naru appeared on the balcony. She had finally brought herself to come out of her room. After crying all night, she didn't get much sleep. As she looked out upon the town, she quickly noticed Keitaro down below.

Soon she found herself staring at him, taking in every detail of his person. From the specific light-tan color that the sun reflected off of his hair to the particular way that his lips were shaped. Snapping her self out of it, she shook her head. 'I've got to do it as soon as possible. I've got to tell him. Tell him how I really…' Naru's thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of Su jumping on her shoulders and playing with her antenna-like hairs.

"Naru! Do you want to play Tokyo Monster Destruction with me? It's a really fun game. I just thought of it five minutes ago. Oh, please, Naru, please." Su said.

"Su, knock it off. Those are not things to play with!" Naru said, lifting Su off her shoulders and setting her down.

"Come on, play the game, play the game!" Su pleaded.

"Maybe later, Su. Not right now." Naru said, straightening her hair.

"Oh, all right. It shall be later then." Su said with disappointment as she walked back inside.

Turning back to Keitaro, Naru smiled to herself and gave a quick laugh before going inside as well.

Motoko, having awoken two hours before, made her way down the stairs to the apartment's main room. Walking through, she saw Kitsune on the sofa, reading a book entitled 'Friend's Strange Behaviors'.

"Good morning, Kitsune. What's with the book?" Motoko asked, walking up to her.

"Huh? Oh, this? Oh, it's nothing. A little light reading material, is all." Kitsune said, quickly hiding the book away. "Anyway, why do you look so happy this morning? Did you and Keitaro have a secret meeting last night?" Kitsune said, noticing Motoko's bright and cheerful demeanor.

Motoko was of course frozen in shock by those words.

"Wha-Wha-Why would you say something like that?! As if there was something going on between us, I mean it's not like there _is_ something going on between us, which I assure you there is absolutely is not!" Motoko said, enthusiastically waving her hands in front of her and blushing.

"Hehehe. Relax, sugah. I was only jokin'. It's not like you would go for Keitaro anyways." Kitsune said, giggling.

"Heh heh, yeah that's right. It's not like I would go for guy like him." Motoko said, forcing herself to laugh.

Inside, she cursed herself for saying such a thing, but knew it was necessary for the time being.

At that moment, Keitaro walked in through the front door carrying the broom with him.

"Oh, hello Kitsune. Good morning, Motoko." Keitaro said as he walked up.

Kitsune said "Yo" with a quick wave.

"Good morning, Keitaro." Motoko said indifferently on the surface, but inside she was all smiles.

"Wow, 11am already. I'd better get up to my room and start on the apartment paperwork. See you guys later." He said, heading up the stairs.

Motoko watched him the whole way with a smile that she hid from Kitsune.

Keitaro walked down the hall and was about to open his door when he was stopped by Naru's voice behind him.

"Keitaro? Can I talk to you a minute?" She said, walking up.

"Huh? Oh, Naru." He said, turning around.

His eyes beheld a sight to be seen. She wore a form-fitting red turtleneck, a tight black skirt that came down to mid-thigh and on her lips was a beautiful dark shade of ash red lipstick, which took her a half an hour to pick out, complementing the outfit perfectly. The sweet smell of her perfume danced through the air. The scent of jasmine reached Keitaro's nose, to which he breathed in deeply through his nostrils.

"Uh, sure, step right inside." He said, motioning to the inside of his room after opening the door.

Shutting the door behind them, Keitaro lead her to the center of the room. His window was open. A cool breeze blew in, gently moving her silky brown hair.

'What is with Naru, today? She's dressed up so nice and that perfume smells incredible.' He thought to himself.

Every second that went by, he became more and more affected by her appearance. Keitaro gave a nervous swallow before speaking.

"Ulp. W-What was it you wanted to talk about, Naru?" He said, unevenly.

She folded her arms, walked over to the window and looked out.

"Keitaro, did you ever find out something that you were sure it was best to keep secret?" She said, looking over the horizon where the light blue sky met the pink of the blooming Sakura trees.

"I guess so. Why?" He said, curiously.

Turning back to him, she opened her mouth to speak, but then hesitated and remained silent.

"Well, I'm sure we all have something we wouldn't want everyone in the world to know about. So I guess some things are best kept to ourselves." He said, walking over and standing next to her, by the window.

"I have to say, you had us a little worried yesterday. Whatever happened, I'm glad to see you're doing better today." He said.

"Um, Keitaro? Tell me. What kind of girl do you like?" She quietly asked, looking into his eyes.

"What kind of girl do I like?" He felt his cheeks begin to heat up as his blush started to show. "Well, um, I guess I would like a girl who is honest with her feelings and is honest with herself. A girl who has a good heart, you know? Why do you ask, Naru?" He said, getting more curious as to what she was getting at.

In hesitation, her gaze wandered around the room. As she found the confidence once more, she looked back into his eyes.

"I…that is…would you ever like a girl like me?" She said softly. His heartbeat sped up. For a quick moment he was not able to find the words to respond.

"I…uh…oh." Was all he could get out.

"Please answer me, Keitaro!" She said, folding her hands in front of her chest and moving closer.

"I…I don't know, Naru." He said, thinking of Motoko.

Tears started to well in her eyes.

"Oh, Keitaro!" She said, throwing her arms around him and holding tightly.

Keitaro's heart skipped a beat as he felt Naru's body pressed against him.

"Naru, what's wrong? What brought this on?" He said, not sure whether to put his arms around her to comfort her or to keep them at his sides.

She then pulled back, moved her face close to his, slowly took off his glasses and stared into his eyes.

"N-Naru, w-what are you mmff-" His mouth was then silenced by her lips pressing against his.

Keitaro was unable to move.

'Her lips, they're so soft. And she smells so good.' He thought as he slowly closed his eyes and began to kiss back.

Then at that moment, Motoko appeared in his mind and his eyes opened wide. Breaking the kiss immediately, he pushed Naru away. The look of longing and confusion were painted across her features.

"I…I'm sorry, Naru. I just can't do this." He said.

"Why not?!" she yelled.

Slowly turning around, he placed both hands on his desk and hung his head.

"I understand. It's because of Motoko, right?" she said, her gaze falling to the floor.

Keitaro gasped and looked up at her.

"Yeah, I know. I've known since yesterday, when I saw you two walking down the street together." She said, looking back at him with a frown as she folded her arms.

"Listen, Keitaro. The truth is…I've liked you for a long time now. Back when we were near the Onsen when you first came here? When I stumbled and we fell over, your glasses came off. I thought you had the nicest eyes I'd ever seen. Since then, my feelings for you have been growing, more and more. I like you so much, Keitaro. I was just never able to bring myself to say it, to you or to myself. So, you can imagine how I felt when I saw the two of you together." She said, her eyes turning to the window.

"Naru, please understand. I really do care about Motoko. Please, I…"

Interrupting, Naru quickly turned back to him and yelled,

"Damn it, Keitaro, she's only Sixteen years old!!"

"I know and I don't care about that!" he yelled back, causing her to gasp.

"It shouldn't matter how old you are. The only thing that matters is that we both understand how each other feels. Listen, I understand you have feelings for me. I just can't return those feelings. I'm sorry, Naru. There's nothing I can do for you." He said.

A single tear ran down her cheek as her head tilted down. Then she looked back up at him with fiery anger in her eyes.

"You big idiot!" she screamed, as she performed the Naru punch, knocking him backwards to the floor.

Storming out, she looked back at him for a second, shedding more tears. Then she left, slamming the door behind her.

After hearing all the noise, Motoko walked up the stairs to see what all the fuss was about. When she reached the top of the steps, she caught sight of Naru storming down the hall and disappearing around the corner.

Inside his room, Keitaro sat on the floor, contemplating the troublesome situation he was in. Then a knock came at his door.

"Keitaro? It's me. Can I come in?" Keitaro gasped at the sound of her voice.

'Motoko! What am I going to tell her? She has to know the truth. It's only fair.' He thought.

"Keitaro?" she called again.

"Y-Yes. Come in, Motoko." He said, standing up.

She walked in. As she closed the door behind her she said,

"I heard a lot of yelling up here. I thought I heard yours and Naru's voices. What's going on?"

Keitaro just looked at her and by the look in his eyes she knew that something was wrong.

"Motoko, I think you should sit down." He said plainly as he stood up.

"I don't want to sit down, Keitaro. I want you to tell me what's wrong." She said impatiently.

"Alright then. Naru…saw us yesterday. She saw us together, walking down the street near the theatre." He said.

"What?" she said, raising her hand to her mouth.

"She also…confessed her love to me. And she kissed me." He said, as honestly as he could.

Her head tilted down and her eyes hid behind her bangs.

"Answer me one thing, Keitaro." She said softly.

"Anything, Motoko." He said, stepping closer.

"Did you…enjoy…her kiss?" she said.

He thought about it for a moment. About how the kiss felt and how it made him feel.

"I…I don't know, Motoko."

Motoko was deeply affected by those words, and what they could mean. Keitaro, disturbed by her silence, walked up to her and reached out to hold her. As his hands reached within a few centimeters of her body…

"Don't touch me." She said, with a tinge of anger and disgust.

"Motoko?" He said.

"I trusted you, Keitaro! How could you betray me like this? And to not be able to tell me a straight 'no' means that you did partially enjoy that kiss, if not fully!" She said, showing her anger filled eyes. "I don't think we should continue this relationship." She said, turning her head away from him.

"Motoko." Keitaro said, longingly.

She turned around and made way for the door. In his desperate feelings, Keitaro reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Motoko, wait! Please!"

Motoko pulled out her sword and spun around.

"I said get away from me!" she said, performing the Sword technique, Wind Blade.

Flying across the room, Keitaro landed underneath the window.

He looked up at Motoko.

Motoko looked down at him.

"I really did care about you, Keitaro. Now I feel like a fool for doing so." Saying that, she then calmly exited his room and closed the door. Keitaro, weakened from her assault, reached out his hand for her from where he lay as the door closed, but then his vision became blurred due to the many tears forming in his eyes. Motoko stood there outside of his room with her hand still on the door. Tears were forming in her eyes as well.

'I really did love you, Keitaro.' She thought to herself.

The tears fell down her face as she walked away, washing her face in the sorrow of a broken heart. Keitaro, still on the floor, rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. Tears flowing out of the sides of his eyes he said softly,

"I really do love you, Motoko."


	3. Picking up the pieces

Thank you so much for the excellent reviews that have kept this story going. I do not own Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu does. Enjoy.

**Love's Sharp Blade**

Chapter III

Motoko sat within the confines of her room. The confines that she herself had set. The sunlight cast down on the floor from the window and ever so slowly moved across the finished wooden surface. Motoko could recall the exact path that it had traveled across the floor since she had first sat down. The fair skin of her face was still wet from the tears she had cried throughout that period of time. The countless tears she had cried for Keitaro. It is now 1pm in the afternoon. Sitting on her futon, she just stared across the room into nothingness. Then, the memory of a dream came to her. A dream that she had had before she awoke this morning.

She was standing on a stone path that ran through a deep forest. She could not see very far in front of her due to a thick gray fog that surrounded her. Motoko cautiously walked down the path, not really sure what her destination was or where the path would take her. Then, a cool wind blew and rustled the leaves of the trees. In that rustling sound, she heard a voice call, as if from a distance.

"Discipline."

She immediately stopped and looked around. The fog grew thicker. So thick that she could not see one foot in front of her. The voice came again, this time so close it was as if it were right next to her.

"Men are nothing but a distraction. They will lead you off the path."

A moment of silence passed. Then the fog lifted around her and Motoko found herself in the forest among the trees. The stone path was gone from her view.

"Love is nothing compared to the fire of a warrior's heart." Came the voice from among the trees.

"You lie! When love is pure and true, it can make a warrior stronger!" Motoko yelled.

"Can it?" the now clear and chillingly familiar voice said, this time from right behind her.

Quickly, Motoko turned around. She saw herself, dressed in black Samurai armor. Her hair was tied back with a thin black leather strip, leaving two streams of raven hair flowing down on either side of her face, accenting her onyx colored eyes. Her lips formed a malicious smile. Lips that were a pale purple compared to the rest of her bloodless white skin.

"Can it really?" the dark Motoko said, before pulling out her sword and plunging it into Motoko's stomach.

"All a warrior needs is herself." The dark Motoko said.

She then quickly pulled the sword from Motoko's midsection, shedding the blood from her blade behind her in a quick swiping motion. It was then when Motoko awoke from the dream with a loud gasp, holding her stomach.

Touching her stomach, Motoko could still remember the sting of the sharp sword piercing her skin and the feeling of the cold blade inside of her. The dream was so vivid that it disturbed her greatly.

'Maybe the me in the dream was trying to tell me something.' She thought to herself as she sat there, still contemplating the dream.

'Maybe it was trying to warn me that Keitaro was no good for me right from the start. I want to sever all compassion and love from my soul. That way the love from another can no longer affect a part that is no longer there. Yeah, that's it. Oh, who am I kidding? It still hurts so much. Why did this have to happen? Why did I…have to fall in love with someone? And why did that someone have to betray me? Maybe he really does like her better. I've seen how Naru looks at him sometimes. It's not like its really obvious, but you can tell she feels something more for him than say Kitsune or Kaolla Su. Ergg, I hate thinking this way!'

Motoko then closed her eyes and quieted her mind. The sounds and the feeling of reality around her slowly began to melt away until there was only black in all directions. She sat there inside the comfortable void, a world separate from the outside. A safe realm, that lies within. All was dark, all was silent. Then, the image of Keitaro appeared before her and with it a tinge of pain in her heart.

Without warning, a hand emerged from the darkness and moved its fingers over the image, causing ripples as if over a pool of water.

"So, this is the cause of all your sorrow, all your pain." A voice said.

The hand then gave a quick sweeping gesture and the image disappeared.

The voice continued,

"I can make it all go away, make all of the pain disappear."

Then the hand sank back into the darkness.

"Who is it? Who's there?" Motoko called out into the void.

There was no reply.

"H-How can you make the pain disappear?" Motoko asked softly.

She then felt a pair of cold arms wrap around and embrace her from behind and a cool cheek touching hers.

The person then moved her lips to Motoko's ear and whispered,

"I can make it all go away. I can protect you. I can make sure you will never be hurt again. All you have to do is surrender yourself to me. Surrender to the ideals of a warrior."

Motoko sat very still, enticed by the words whispered to her.

"I…maybe I can…if it will…"

Motoko then looked down at the arms that embraced her. They were white. The hands were like hers, only the fingernails were long, black and sharp. This immediately disturbed her.

"Who, who the hell are you?" she said, freeing herself from the cold embrace.

Motoko stood up and turned around. Looking right back at her, dressed in a black kimono and wearing a devilish smile, was the other Motoko, just like in her dream.

"Y-You!" Motoko said, stepping back.

"Yes, Motoko. Submit yourself to my ideals and the beliefs of the Samurai, wholly and completely. Then, you'll never have to feel the agonies of love ever again." She said, standing up as well.

"No! I can't. I won't!" Motoko yelled, moving her hand in a rejecting gesture.

"Surrender to me. Let me take control. Let me free you of the pain. Surrender!" she said moving towards her, reaching out her clawed fingers. As the claws moved closer to her face, Motoko screamed, "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Motoko then snapped out of her meditation. Still breathing heavily, she looked around the room and began to calm down.

"It was a hallucination, or a twisted dream. It had to be." Motoko said to herself, placing her hand on her face. "What a horrible vision."

She looked over to the clock. It read 2pm.

'Well, I can't stay in here all day. I have to go out there and live my life again, like it was before. I can do this, I know I can.'

She took a deep breath and exhaled. Motoko stood up, straightened her kendo robe and walked to the door. Opening it and walking out, she closed the sliding door behind her. The sure sound of her determined footsteps began to fade until they subsided altogether.

Keitaro walked through the main room. Everyone else seemed to be out doing something, something within the flow of their normal lives, leaving him standing there alone, utterly, without even a single soul to talk to. He wants to express this feeling he has of angst and regret to someone, anyone. He sat down on the sofa, removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Running his fingers through his hair and straightening it, he again thought of Motoko. Her smooth, perfect skin. How her fine dark hair moves so elegantly with the light wind of spring. Her beautiful brown eyes and how the world around her so perfectly reflects within them. About how her cute and pleasant smile can make his heart stop and then start it up again. Keitaro remembers her stubbornness, but also her strong determination and her passion for discipline and training. All of these things he loved about her and he missed greatly.

He hung his head down and rested it in his hands.

"Oh, Motoko." He said in self-pity.

"Motoko?" came a more mature voice from behind him.

Keitaro turned his head to see Haruka standing there behind the sofa, watching him with a puzzled look on her face.

"Oh, its you Aunt Haruka." Haruka immediately smashed her elbow down on his head.

"It's Miss Haruka." She said.

"Right, sorry." Keitaro groaned through the pain on top of his head.

"Isn't Motoko upstairs, Keitaro? And by the way, what's got you so down?" she asked.

"Well…I…Haruka, have you ever done something that you regretted deeply, that you wish you never allowed to happen?" he asked.

Haruka then closed her eyes, smiled and let out a sigh. She walked around and sat down next to Keitaro.

"You know, Keitaro, I've made a few mistakes in my time, but I don't regret them. If I could go back and change all those mistakes, I wouldn't. The truth is we learn from our mistakes. If I went back and changed all of those things that I did wrong, I wouldn't have the wisdom I have today that I gained from making those mistakes." She said.

"Ah, I see. I understand." Keitaro said.

"Why do you ask? Did you happen to make a 'mistake' with Motoko?" she asked with a smile.

"What?! Uh, no! That is, her and I aren't really talking now." Keitaro said.

Haruka then stood up and looked at Keitaro with an understanding smile.

"I see. I just hope you've gained some wisdom of your own from that experience." She said.

"I think I have. Thank you, Haruka." He said, giving her a smile.

"Don't mention it, Keitaro." She then walked outside and headed back to the teahouse.

Keitaro rose to his feet.

'In order to truly gain from that experience, there's something I have to do.' He thought.

He then turned and ran up the stairs.

'Hopefully she's in the place where I think she is right now.' He thought as he made his way down the hall.

Naru was on the roof, hanging up her laundry to dry. The warm wind picked up and blew against the clothes, moving them in waves. It was a pleasing sight that didn't seem to reach Naru, as her mind was a million miles away. Her thoughts were on Keitaro, who she still yearns for in her heart. She still remembers every second of that kiss, a kiss she has fantasized about since Keitaro first came to Hinata. Then she remembered the agony of his rejection. A memory, that caused a quick sting in her heart.

"N-Naru?"

Snapping out of her deep thoughts, she turned to see Keitaro standing there. This caused her heart to drop only for a second before she put on her angry face to mask her broken feelings.

"What do YOU want?" She said, turning her head away.

"I just want to talk, Naru." He said, walking up to her.

"Fine, then talk." She said, folding her arms.

"Well, I just want to say I'm sorry if I might have lead you on for so long. The truth is that I really was in love with you for a while." Keitaro said.

Hearing those last few words surprised Naru, causing her to gasp and turn to face Keitaro.

"Then, for some reason, the last few months I've been growing more and more fond of Motoko to the point where I started to love her. I still do care about you, Naru. Only now I want more than anything for us to be good friends." Keitaro said.

"Keitaro…" Naru said with a slight look of disappointment. She was hoping that he would actually say something else.

"Well, if that's what you really want, Keitaro, then I suppose I'd be fine with it. And…I wish you and Motoko nothing but the best together, okay? Even though it pains me so much to say that, I just want you to be happy, Keitaro." She said, with sorrow growing in her voice.

"I thank you for being honest, Naru, but I'm afraid that's no longer possible." Keitaro said, his gaze lowering to the floor.

"What? What are you talking about?" She asked.

"You see, after you left, Motoko came to see me. I felt it was unfair to keep the truth from her, so I told her everything that happened between us." Keitaro said.

"But why should that cause her to break things off? I mean, I'm the one who kissed you, and then you rejected me. She should have praised you for that." She said, walking up and standing close to him.

"She was fine with all that, I'm sure. But then, Motoko asked me…if I enjoyed your kiss. I hesitated and said that I didn't know at the time. The thing is, I did enjoy your kiss, Naru. But I would not trade my relationship with Motoko for that kiss. Now, she's lost her trust in me and on top of that, she hates me again. I Just don't know what to do, Naru." He said, rubbing his head with frustration.

"Keitaro, I'm so sorry for causing this whole mess." She said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No, it's not your fault. You were simply acting on your feelings for me. No one can blame you for that." He said, turning to her.

"Listen, maybe I should talk with her. I could give her my side of the story. That could help." She said, lifting his chin up to her.

"No. She obviously hates me now. It won't do any good." He said.

"That's not true. Listen, Keitaro. Girls can't shut off their feelings just like that. Deep down I know she still loves you. She's just really hurt." She said, reassuringly.

"More than anything, I do want to get her back, but you know Motoko. Once her mind is set it's like trying to chisel granite with a wooden cooking spoon." He said, with the sound of apathy.

"No. You can't give up, Keitaro. That…that's not the Keitaro Urashima I know!" She said, grabbing him by both shoulders.

He immediately looked her in the eyes. Then he thought about her words.

"You're right, Naru. You're absolutely right. Thank you so much." He said.

Keitaro turned, walked down the wooden steps and back into the house. Naru waved with a smile, but as he disappeared from her view, that smile quickly faded. As a single tear ran down her cheek and fell onto the polished wood at her feet, she thought,

'I did do the right thing, didn't I? Good luck, Keitaro.'

Motoko walked through the long halls of the apartments. She felt if she hadn't, she would have gone crazy just staying in one place. Finding her way to the rear balcony that overlooked the back courtyard, she then stood there and looked at it. Walking up, she placed her hands on the railing.

It felt warm to her, since the wood has been in the sun most of the day. She then folded her arms on the railing and rested her chin on top of them. Silently, she looked over the courtyard and at the abandoned annex beyond the way. Then the memory of the kiss that she and Keitaro shared under the moonlight came to her mind. It happened right where she was standing. Recalling every minute detail of that kiss, the sting of pain returned to her heart.

'Why? Why does love hurt so much? Why did this have to happen? And…why do I still yearn for him, the man who betrayed me? Why can't this hurt go away? I can't take it. Please, make it go away.' She thought to herself.

Then in the back of her mind, a voice popped up.

'I can make it go away.'

Motoko ignored it and continued her thoughts,

'I don't want to feel this way anymore. Love wasn't supposed to be in my destiny.'

Then the voice spoke again.

'You don't have to feel this way anymore. I can protect you.'

Shaking her head, denying the voice, she still continued.

'I am Motoko Aoyama. I am to inherit the Divinity School of Swordsmanship. I cannot be distracted from my goal.'

The voice came yet again,

'I can help you make it so.'

Now acknowledging the voice, she thought,

'Yes…that's it. I can drown it all away. Clear it all away until there is nothing left but the lessons of the samurai. That way, my thoughts will be pure once more.'

Motoko stood up, closed her eyes and placed her palms together before her. Thinking of nothing but the lessons she had been taught since the age of five, all the pain seemed to immediately disappear and ultimately no longer seemed to matter. All those feelings of love and longing were pounded down deep within her heart until they were no longer felt at all. She opened her eyes and the whole world seemed clear to her once more. Taking a deep breath, the surrounding nature seemed beautiful again.

Keitaro walked down the third floor hallway of the apartments. He is a desperate man seeking the only one person that can make him whole once more. After looking here and there, he walked through the sliding doorway and found that person. There she stood, looking at the scenery of the courtyard. Keitaro walked up slowly. He was hesitant and completely unsure of what to say. Then he took a deep breath and found the courage.

"Motoko? I need to talk to you."

She slowly turned around and looked upon Keitaro with an indifferent expression.

"What is there to talk about other than those things that are discussed between an apartment manager and a tenant." She said, coldly.

"Listen, Motoko. I am so sorry. About what happened between Naru and I…"

"That no longer matters to me."

Keitaro was stunned by her words.

"Motoko? What do you mean?"

Her emotionless look stayed unbroken.

"For a short time, I had lost sight of my goal of becoming a great swordswoman. Now my judgement is no longer clouded. I am going to forget everything that happened between us and live here as if nothing happened, Urashima."

Keitaro slowly shook his head in disbelief.

"Motoko, you don't mean that!"

Motoko closed her eyes.

"Yes…I do."

Motoko then slowly walked past Keitaro.

"Motoko. I did enjoy that kiss, that much is true…"

At those words, Motoko stopped in the doorway.

"But I would not choose Naru over you. Motoko, you're the one I really love! More than anything, I love you!"

She stood there for a moment as Keitaro stood still as well. A silence passed, then Motoko continued on and shut the door behind her. Keitaro fell to his knees and laid his head in his hands as the tears flowed from his eyes once more.

Late afternoon came and went. Throughout the evening, Motoko isolated herself far from everyone else in the woods behind the apartments. There, she practiced her kendo techniques tirelessly for hours. After the sun had set over the horizon, she lit several tall torches around her and continued her practice. Meanwhile, Keitaro moped around the apartments, clutched in the depths of depression. His heart felt as if it had been torn from his chest, dropped from the top of Tokyo Tower and then run over by a dump truck.

At around 9pm, Motoko came back from the woods, finally exhausted from her strenuous brand of self-training. Sweat covering her face, she went straight to the hot spring. After shedding her sweat soaked kendo robe, she donned a towel and dipped her sore body into the hot, soothing waters. This relaxed her strained muscles as the steam helped clear her head. However, something still bothered her deep down, poking at her soul, struggling for recognition. Forcing herself to ignore it, she simply gathered some water in her hands and splashed it onto her face.

After she finished her bath, Motoko returned to her room. Holding her sword in her right hand, she held it out before her and stared at it. Inside it, resided the memories of all the training that she has endured for most of her life.

'I am a samurai warrior.'

With a quick turn of the wrist, she placed it back on its display on top of her table. Motoko pulled out her futon from the closet, unfolded it on the floor and got herself ready for bed.

Outside, sitting at the top of the stone steps leading up to the apartments, was Keitaro. Hanging his head, he wallowed in self-pity. The future he had hoped to make possible with the special person he held so dear, had been shattered completely with the uttering of a single sentence from that very same person.

'Yes I do'.

The words echoed in his head, over and over. Each time hurting just as much as the last. Yet, he refused to give up, even if hope had turned its back on him. He still could not move on. He could not forget her, even if she had forgotten him. Keitaro refused to let go of the image of her that he holds dear inside his heart. As a result, he is a man frozen by his feelings, stuck right where he is. He realizes that the girl who fell in love with him no longer exists, but he keeps telling himself that she might still be in there, somewhere, somehow.

Is he a man still foolishly holding on to broken dreams? Or does he just have faith that love will find a way, somehow, some way. Who really knows for sure?


	4. Whole once more

I realize that some of you liked chap 3 and some of you strongly disliked it because of the way it was going. The truth is, I finished both chapters 3 and 4, two days before I posted chap 3. I just wanted to see how people would take chap 3 before I posted the conclusion. I sincerely hope that this chapter will put all of your anxieties to rest, and I humbly apologize for upsetting anyone's anticipations. I want to thank everyone for making this fiction such a success. This fic is for all of you, because as always, I write for the sole purpose to entertain the readers. Without your reviews, I don't think I could have made it this far. Anyways, enough of my babbling. Love Hina is owned and created by Ken Akamatsu. I hope you enjoy my conclusion.

-Knightwolf

**Love's Sharp Blade**

Chapter IV

Motoko stood tall on a desolate land of lifeless soil and dead, leafless trees. Tones of gray and pale earth swept as far as the eye could see. Grasping her black Katana sword hanging at her left hip, she looked over the dismal land with a blank expression on her face. Above her, moved dark clouds that reigned down bolts of lightning every few moments. Covering her body was the black samurai armor. A cold wind moved across the barren dirt, blowing over her face and through her hair. Motoko did not mind, however. She felt it not, for her skin was numb to all feelings of cold or pain. Unaffected, she simply let it caress her.

Around her she heard nothing but the quiet hiss of dust moving over the wretched land. Then, she heard a whisper speak to her from an unknown source.

"Why is it that you wear that armor in such pride?" It said.

"Because it is the armor of a Samurai and it only comes to those who possess strong discipline!" Motoko boasted proudly.

"What of your friends? Can they still touch you through that armor?" the voice spoke, now closer and with more certainty.

"A warrior needs no one." Motoko said, continuing her stone gaze to the dark horizon.

Then, out of the darkness appeared a familiar looking girl, wearing a white Kimono, tied with a long white sash that flowed freely in the wind. As the girl came closer, Motoko got a good look at her and saw that it was herself. The white Motoko stopped and stood before her. She raised up her hand and gently touched Motoko's face. Motoko stood still, maintaining her stature.

"Your skin. It feels so cold." The white Motoko said.

Motoko said nothing.

The white Motoko's hand then slowly moved down along Motoko's black armor.

"It feels so hard. It is rigid and unyielding."

Motoko still said nothing.

The white Motoko moved in and tenderly embraced Motoko, closing her eyes and resting her head on Motoko's armored shoulder. Motoko still did not move.

"Can you feel love or sorrow underneath that armor?" The white Motoko asked.

"A warrior does not need love. A warrior does not need sorrow. Thus, a warrior feels neither. All a warrior needs is strength, wisdom and heart!" Motoko boasted.

"Then what is your heart for?" The white Motoko inquired.

"What? What do you mean?" Motoko asked.

"What is it for, if not to feel love or sorrow?" The white Motoko asked with a soft smile as she continued to rest her head on Motoko's shoulder.

"I…It's for…" Motoko could not find the words to continue. She was struck with an epiphany by the white Motoko's words. Motoko's head tilted downward and her gaze fell to the ground.

"A…A warrior possesses a heart…" Motoko said, her voice wavering.

"Yes?" the white Motoko said, rubbing Motoko's back slowly with her soft hands, encouraging her to continue.

"…to feel love and sorrow. Thus love and sorrow are both a part of being a warrior." Motoko said, slowly loosening up her tightened muscles.

Several tiny cracks began to form in the armor.

"That's right, hm hm." The white Motoko said, with a loving laugh. White Motoko then lifted her head from her shoulder and lightly kissed Motoko on the cheek. Then she moved her lips up to her ear and whispered,

"If you do not let feelings of love or sorrow into your heart, then it will stop beating."

As Motoko listened to her words, she felt something pleasantly warm deep inside of her. White Motoko then changed to a glowing energy that moved past the black armor and flowed into Motoko. The warmth that she felt inside grew ten-fold. The land around her began to change immediately. Green grass arose beneath her feet, quickly covering the land. Leaves sprouted from branches of every tree. Above, the dark clouds cleared away to reveal the brilliant blue sky and the bright sun.

As the sunlight hit the armor, it began to break apart and fall away, revealing Motoko's bare skin to the sun's warm rays.

"It feels so good. As if I have lived in the cold darkness for so long." She said, holding out her hand and watching the light cast upon it.

"Will you let forgiveness inside your heart as well?" The voice said from inside her.

Motoko looked up at the sky and smiled a bright smile.

"Yes, of course I will." Motoko graciously replied.

"Good, because someone is waiting for it, right now."

Motoko then awoke from her dream with that very same bright smile. Sitting up in her bed and looking around her room she realized what she needed to do. Immediately she jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes and ran out of her room. Running down the hall, she arrived at her destination, door 204. After throwing it open she was disappointed to see that it was empty. She quickly closed the door and continued her search.

Keitaro sat silent on the top step of the stone Hinata stairs, just in front of the apartments. His forehead rested on his arms, which were folded over his knees. He hadn't moved for a long time. Keitaro just continues to sit there, desperately wishing that he could take back the mistakes that he has made. To take back the choices that robbed him of the one girl he truly loved.

Behind him, he heard footsteps slowly getting closer, but he paid no attention. The footsteps continued until he was sure that they stopped right behind him. Then, Keitaro felt a pair of soft hands touch his shoulders and lightly rub them. Keitaro lifted his head and looked at the horizon before him.

"Can you ever forgive me for being so foolish? For jeopardizing something so beautiful and wonderful? For hurting the one person that I still love, even now?" Keitaro said.

The person knelt down and slowly wrapped her arms around his chest. Resting her head on his shoulder, she rubbed his chest tenderly in circles. Keitaro reached up and took one of the hands that caressed him so gently. He then held it over his heart.

"Could you ever forgive me, Motoko?" He said.

"Yes." She said softly, holding him tighter.

"I love you so much, Motoko. I need you." Keitaro said.

"I know. And I need you too. I don't ever want to be apart from you, Keitaro." She said.

Keitaro then turned around. He and Motoko embraced eachother with everything they had, as if their lives depended on it. After a long minute had passed, the two of them moved back and they then shared a long, greatly missed kiss.

Around them the cherry blossoms fell, carried along by the warm spring breeze. Above them stretched the brilliant blue sky, holding in it the warm sun, which seemed to smile down upon the two lovers. And it will continue to smile upon them, forevermore.


End file.
